Brake rigging



July 14, 1953 G, B', HUNT 2,645,310

BRAKE RIGGING .Filed May 11, 1951 Inventor-z Ger-ald B. Hunt,

Mum bld HIS Attorneg.

atented July 1.4, 1195? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE RIGGING Gerald B. Hunt, Erie, Pa., assignorl to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1951, Serial No. 225,746

(Cl. 18S-33) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to brake rigging for rail vehicle trucks and, more particularly, to the clasp type brake rigging.

In the design of certain rail vehicles, for example, diesel-electric locomotives, it is frequently desirable to provide for utilization of the vehicle in more than one class of service, i. e., 'both pas-` senger and freight. In addition to the numerous other problemswhich the design of such a dualpurpose locomotive presents, it necessary to provide 4brake rigging which will furnish different braking efforts for the two types of service, the passenger service usually requiring more braking effort than freight service.

An object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a brake rigging construction which may be readily converted from one braking effort to another.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent and the invention will Ibe more clearly understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, and the features Yof the novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of ythis specication.

This invention contemplates a brake rigging arrangement for a rai] vehicle truck having a side frame member. A fulcrum bracket is removably mounted on the side frame member and adapted to be secured thereto in either a first position or a second position. A fulcrum lever is provided having one end operatively connected to the 'brake rigging and is pivotally mounted on the fulcrum bracket, the otherend of the fulcrum lever being connected to power means mounted on the side frame of the-truck. The fulcrum point of the fulcrum bracket is offset from the longitudinal center linethereofso that reversal of the fulcrum bracket changes the distance from the point of the connection between the brake rigging and the fulcrum lever to the fulcrum point. Thus, the braking effort may be changed by reversing the fulcrum bracket and 2 bracket Jof this invention taken along the lines 4..-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a rail vehicle truck l having a side frame member 2 with depending bearing pedestals 3 being secured thereto or formed integrally therewith. Journal box 4 supports the axle of Wheel 5 and is guided by the pedestals 3. An equalizer 6 connects the journal box 4 and the journal box of the other axle (not shown) with suitable springing (not shown) interconnecting the equalizer and the truck frame.

The brake rigging for the truck I is shown as being of the unit clasp type, the assembly cooperating with the wheel 5 including a pair of brake shoes 'I and 8. The lbrake shoe 'I is supported by two brake hanger levers 9, one each side of brake lever I3, pivotally supported on the side frame member 2, as at I0, pin 21 serving to connect the brake shoe 1, hanger 9 Vand brake lever The brake shoe 3 is supported by a dead brake lever II pivotally supported on the side frame member 2 as at l2, pin 28 connecting the brake shoe 8 to brake lever II. Live brake lever I3 is also pivotally connected to the brake shoe 'l and hanger levers 9 by pin 21, and the lower extremities of the dead brakeV lever II and the live brake lever I3 are connected by pull rods I4 arranged on each side of wheel 5.

In order to apply the brake shoes 'l and, the live brake lever I3 is connected to a `fulcrum lever I5 by a clevis I6 and pins 34 and 35, the fulcrum lever I5 being pivoted on the side frame member 2 at I1, as will be hereinafter described. Suitable power means, for example, an air cylinder I8, is mounted on the side frame 2 with its push rod I9 zbeing connected to the fulcrum lever I5 as at In order to provide for mounting the fulcrum lever I5 on the side frame. 2, a fulcrum bracket assembly ZI is provided including a topplate 22, a

bottom plate 23, and spacer members 24, al1 con-Y nected by welding, as shown in Fig. 4. It will be readily apparent that the the fulcrum bracket assembly `2| may also be integrally formed by casting or welding. lBushings 25 in the members 22 and 23 rotatably support the pivot pin II with the fulcrum lever I5 being accommodated for pivotal movement intermediate the members 22 and 23. Bolt 29 in lug 30 serves to retain the pivot pin II in position. Wear plate and supporing bracket assemblies 3| and 32 are provided for supporting fulcrum lever I5.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the fulcrum bracket assembly 2i is arranged between shear blocks 36 and 31 on side frameA 2 and is removably secured to the top surface of the side frame member 2 by four symmetrically arranged cap screws Vor studs 26. It will also be readily seen that the bushings 25 and the pivot pin Il are olset from the center line of the fulcrum bracket assembly 2l. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the fulcrum point Il is located outside of the center line 33 ofthe journals! and of the side frame 2. It will now be readily'seen that by removing the studs 26 and turning the fulcrum bracket 2| end for end 180 horizontally, and then reassembling the studs 26, as shown in Fig. 3, the fulcrum point I1 is moved to the inside of the center line 33 of the journals and of the side frame member 2. By comparing Figs. 2` and 3, it will be readily seen that this reversal of the fulcrum bracket assembly 2| changes theV distance from the point of connection of thevfulcrum lever I5 with the live lever I3 to the fulcrum point I1. Thus, the braking effort may beV changed by merely reversing the fulcrum brack-` et assembly 2l and by substituting a diiierent fulcrum lever, shown in Fig. 3 as lq., having a differently located fulcrum point. Thus, for converting from passenger to freight service and vice versa, the entire unit brake rigging is Athe same, with the exception of the fulcrum lever.

It will also be readily apparent that this improved construction providing a removably mounted fulcrum bracket assembly permits ready replacement of the bushings25, since the complete bracket assembly 2! Vcan be removed from the truck side frameV 2 and the bushings exchanged as a benchoperation in the shop. A further advantage is the elimination of clearance holes under the fulcrum point to permit removal of bushings, as found in the conventional construction.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of this invention, further modications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and Y scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Ina rail vehicle truck having brake rigging associated therewith, a side frame member, a

fulcrum bracket removably mounted on said side frame member and having a fulcrum point adapted to pivotally mount a brake rigging actuating fulcrum lever, and means for securing said fulcrum bracket to said side frame member in either a first position or a second position, said fulcrum point being offset from the longitudinal center line of said bracket, said fulcrum pointrbeing offset on one side'of the longitudinal center line of said side frame in said rst bracket'position and'on the other side of said side frame center line in said second bracket position whereby removal of said fulcrum bracket from one of its positions to the other of its positions is adapted to change the distance from the point of connec-f 4 tion between said brake rigging and said fulcrum lever to said fulcrum point. 1

2. In a rail vehicle truck having brake rigging associated therewith, a side frame member, a

fulcrum bracket removably mounted on'the top of said side frame member having a fulcrum point adapted to pivotally mount a brake rigging actuating fulcrum lever, and means for securing said fulcrum `bracket to said Side frame member in either a rst position or a second position, said fulcrum point being offset from the longitudinal center line of said bracket, said fulcrum point being offset on one side of the longitudinal center line of said side frame member in said iirst bracket position and on the other side of said side frame center line in said second bracket vposition whereby removal of said fulcrum bracket from one of its positions Yto the other of its positions is adapted to change the distance from the point of connection between said vbrake rigging and said -fulcrum lever to said fulcrum point.

3. In a rail vehicle truck having a side frame member and brake rigging associated therewith, a fulcrum bracket removably mounted on said side frame member and having'a fulcrum point adapted to pivotally mount a brake rigging actuating fulcrum lever, and means for securing said Y fulcrum bracket to said side frame member in either a first position or a second position, said fulcrum point having a irst distance from the point of connection of said brake rigging with said fulcrum lever in said first bracket position and a second distance therefrom in said second bracket position whereby removal of said fulcrum bracket from one of its positions to the other of its positions is adapted to change the distance from the point of connection of said brake rigging with said fulcrum lever to said fulcrum point.

4. In a rail vehicle truck having brake rigging associated therewith, a side frame member, and

a fulcrum bracket removably mounted on said side frame member and having a fulcrum point adapted to pivotally mount a brake rigging actuatingfulcrum lever, said fulcrurn bracket being adapted tobe supported in a rst position with said fulcrum point offset on one side of the longitudinal center line of said side frame member or in a second position with said fulcrum point olfset on the other side of said center line whereby reversal of said fulcrum bracket is adapted to change the distance from the point of connection between said brake rigging and said fulcrum lever to saidfulcrum point.

' GERALD B. HUNT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 260,839 Cameron July 11, 1882 1,969,159 Y Simanek Aug. 7, 1934 2,286,517 Tack June 16, 1942 2,382,552 Eksergian et al. Aug. 14, 1945 

